Are You Ready for MORE CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS
I'm NOT but here they are anyway!
Prime Prep Academy
*“Former football player’s charter school raised questions.”* Austin American-Statesman, 11/4/2011 Last month, the state Board of Education granted its approval for two charter schools affiliated with former professional football and baseball star Deion Sanders to open next fall, in Fort Worth and Dallas. A review of recently released public records shows that early versions of the charter’s application contained two business arrangements that appeared to be designed to give school executives opportunities to personally profit off the school. A spokeswoman for the Texas Education... more »
The Pima Partnership School
*“Former Tucson school principal given probation in theft case.”* Arizona Daily Star, 10/13/2011 A former charter school principal was placed on three years probation and ordered to pay nearly $23,000 in restitution for attempted theft Thursday. William Eddings Jr. was the principal at a charter school operated by the Pima Prevention Partnership when discrepancies were discovered during an audit by the Arizona Department of Education, according to court records. The audit and subsequent investigation revealed that between June 16, 2006, and March 15, 2008, Eddings submitted inflat... more »
Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School
*“Tribal school test scores invalidated.”* Warren Record (NC), 8/17/2011 As a result of an investigation into testing irregularities in the 2010-11 academic year at Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School, a public charter school, biology test scores for nine students have been invalidated. The school board for the tribal school, which has been investigating the matter, held a special meeting earlier this month during which they voted to place Principal Chenoa Davis on a three-month probationary period and directed her to terminate the contract of Assistant Principal Thomas Buchanan in respon... more »
KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy
*“Charter school football coach fired for sex comments, DPS says.”* FOX31 (CO), 10/11/2011 DENVER – An assistant football coach at KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy has been fired after being accused of making an online sexual advance toward a student, FOX31 News has learned. The coach, whose name has not been released, allegedly made the remarks on a student’s Facebook page. A Denver Public Schools spokesperson says the coach is a part-time employee of the charter school and not a DPS employee.
Fairview Charter School
*“Former Lutz principal removed from new Wisconsin job.”* Tampa Tribune (FL), 10/15/2011 TAMPA -- Milwaukee school officials have removed a new principal from her job as they investigate reports from Lutz about the financial collapse of the private school she operated here. Wendy Alexander was removed from her job Friday as principal of Fairview Charter School, where she supervised about 75 teachers and staff in a kindergarten-through-eighth grade program with more than 600 students. Alexander founded and operated the Hand in Hand Academy in Lutz, shut down last month just four w... more »
Indianapolis charter schools (student dumping)
*“IPS superintendent calls for state investigation into charter schools.”*FOX59 (IN), 10/24/2011 Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene G. White called for a state investigation Monday. White called for the state to investigate what he calls an illegal charter schools practice that will cost his district $500,000 in state aid this year. In a letter to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett, White claims that charter schools are intentionally waiting until after the states average daily membership date to release special needs, homeless and other di... more »
Gulen charter schools in Tennessee
*STATE* *# ACTIVE* *# PENDING * *# INACTIVE* * *TOTAL* TN 1 1+ 1 4+ * Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status =============================================================== *TOTAL ENROLLMENT IN 2010-2011 = 277 STUDENTS * =============================================================== *SCHOOLS* =============================================================== *MEMPHIS** SCHOOL** OF EXCELLENCE* *Status* *ACTIVE**, *opened in 2010* * *Management* READ Foundation, dba Memphis School of Excellence; partnering w/the Cosmos Foundation (“Texas-based Cosmos Foundation will ope... more »
Gulen charter schools in Oklahoma
*STATE* *# ACTIVE* *# PENDING * *# INACTIVE* * *TOTAL* OK 4 0 0 4 * Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status =============================================================== *TOTAL ENROLLMENT IN 2010-2011 = 1557 STUDENTS * =============================================================== *SCHOOLS* =============================================================== *DOVE SCIENCE ACADEMY-TULSA* *Status* *ACTIVE*, opened in 2000 *Management* Sky Foundation, in partnership with the Cosmos Foundation *Authorizer* Langston University (in exchange for 5% of the school’s funding). ... more »
Harmony Science Academy - Houston Northwest
*“Outraged mother says daughter forced to scrub school toilets for tardies.” * KHOU 11 News (TX), 10/5/2011 HOUSTON -- Parents of some students at the Harmony Science Academy Charter School in Northwest Harris County say their children were forced to clean restrooms as punishment. Monica Lane said her daughter, Meagan, a fourth grade student at the school, was punished to Saturday school for getting five tardies. However, Lane said Meagan did not get not extra time in the classroom, but got time in the restroom. "Yeah it was gross," said Meagan Dunn. She was not alone, her mother...more »
Harmony Science Academy - Lubbock
*“Incident leads LISD officials to have concerns about Harmony.”* Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (TX), 8/27/2007 School districts in Lubbock say they're not concerned about a loss of state dollars if students transfer to a new charter school. Public school systems lose state funds for student attendance when pupils transfer out, according to the Texas Education Agency. Harmony Science Academy-Lubbock opens today with about 250 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Lubbock Independent School District officials said they're concerned about something else: The issue stems from a... more »
East End Community Heritage School
*“A school reform experiment that went on too long.”* Cincinnati.com (OH), 10/16/2011 In 2000, the East End Community Heritage School, a charter school, opened with 186 students and a promise to better educate children with Appalachian roots and keep them in school to graduation. In fact, its contract said 85 percent of students would pass Ohio proficiency tests within three years, a rate to rival top suburban schools... Three years later, it was in Academic Emergency. Its achievement was so low by 2006 that CPS dropped out as sponsor. By 2010 - with 99 students - it was put on ... more »
California charter schools (problems w/oversight)
*"Chief of state’s charter school division stepping down.”* EdSource (CA), 10/14/2011 (bolding added) The California Department of Education is looking for a replacement for the chief of its charter school division, who is leaving her post after 18 months on the job. The departure of Beth Hunkapiller at the end of October comes at a time of continuing expansion of charter schools in California. At the same time, the state faces considerable pressures regarding oversight of state and federal dollars, especially at start-up charter schools. It is also examining its capacity to ove... more »
LaMensa Academy Next Generation Charter School
*“Palm Beach Gardens charter elementary school struggles to meet 100-student enrollment goal.”* Palm Beach Post (FL), 10/9/2011 PALM BEACH GARDENS — Brand-new textbooks sit stacked on desks in the brightly lit classrooms at LaMensa Academy Next Generation Charter School. Most have never been opened. And most of the small blue and red chairs have never been occupied by students. The new Palm Beach Gardens charter school's enrollment has fallen well below its expected 100 students this fall. As of Wednesday, it had only 13 children registered. Now LaMensa's founder and administrato... more »
Key West Collegiate School
*“Principal reverses resignation but it's too late.” *Florida Keys Keynoter, 10/15/2011 Key West Collegiate School Principal Debra Remsen, who resigned on Oct. 3 after the school's board started questioning her qualifications, now says she hasn't resigned. But apparently she's out anyway because the board on Wednesday put her on 10-day suspension and is already reviewing applications from two dozen people expressing interest in replacing her... Early into the first-year school's term, board members began questioning Remsen's qualifications, even having School District Superintend... more »
Believe Southside Charter High School
*“Two More Believe Network Charters Are Put on Probation.”* New York Times, SchoolBook blog (NY), 9/26/2011 Two Brooklyn charter high schools have been placed on probation by state education officials, putting them on a path that could lead to their being closed. The two schools, Believe Northside Charter High School and Believe Southside Charter High School, which opened in 2009, are both managed by the Believe High School Network. A third high school operated by the network, Williamsburg Charter, which opened in 2004, was placed on probation on Sept. 16 by city education officia... more »
Believe Northside Charter High School
*“Two More Believe Network Charters Are Put on Probation.”* New York Times, SchoolBook blog (NY), 9/26/2011 Two Brooklyn charter high schools have been placed on probation by state education officials, putting them on a path that could lead to their being closed. The two schools, Believe Northside Charter High School and Believe Southside Charter High School, which opened in 2009, are both managed by the Believe High School Network. A third high school operated by the network, Williamsburg Charter, which opened in 2004, was placed on probation on Sept. 16 by city education offic... more »
School of Science and Technology Discovery
*“Student Claims She Was Humiliated By Teacher Over Rosary.”* KSAT (TX), 10/2/2008 SAN ANTONIO -- An eighth-grader at a northwest side charter school said she was humiliated by one of her teachers over her religious expression. Kelsey, a 13-year-old at the School of Science and Technology's Discovery campus, said one of her teachers humiliated her in front of her classmates while repeatedly questioning her religious beliefs because she wore a Catholic rosary. "She told me to take it off, and I told her no," Kelsey said. "So she took me to the principal's office and he took it awa... more »
IDEA Public Schools
*“Leaked IDEA Public Schools emails reveal private conversations.”* The Monitor (TX), 5/25/2011 The hallways and teachers’ lounges at IDEA Public Schools have been buzzing with talk of the leaking of dozens of emails from the district account of CEO and Founder Tom Torkelson over the weekend. IDEA officials confirmed they were investigating who forwarded 44 sensitive emails Saturday morning to local business and education leaders, charter executives from across the state and the charter district’s entire staff. “Somebody hacked into … private conversations between me and my senior... more »
IDEA Alamo
*“Family removes boy from IDEA over response to health needs.”* The Monitor (TX), 10/16/2011 No teacher ever suggested Arnold Lopez was a liar when he attended the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district, the 11-year-old said recently. But at IDEA Public Schools — where students cannot leave class during the first and last 20 minutes of instruction — a substitute doubted the sixth-grader truly “needed” to rush to the restroom on Sept. 8. “I told her I’m a diabetic. … My kidneys work overtime to lower my (blood sugar) levels,” Arnold said. “She said, ‘Are you making that up?’ “Who wo... more »
South Carolina Virtual Charter School
*“Test Result: No School for Student with Asperger Syndrome.”* Education Week, 10/14/2011 At the moment, South Carolina mother Gretchen Herrera isn't worried about whether her son has to take state tests in reading and math this year. He has to be in school for her to worry about that. Last week, Ms. Herrera told me about how she doesn't want her son Anthony, 12, to take the tests because his two diagnoses, Asperger syndrome and Type I diabetes, are a somewhat lethal combination. Anthony did well on the one test he did take, but his blood sugar spiked to a dangerous level during ... more »
Spectrum High School
*“Teacher-student sexual affair alleged.”* Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN), 10/17/2011 A teacher at an Elk River charter school has been charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct after allegedly admitting to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. Matthew C. Ellsworth, 36, of St. Paul, told police that he had sex with the student six to eight times during the summer, according to a Ramsey County District Court complaint filed against him last week. The charges say he taught the student during her junior year at Spectrum High School and was her mentor for he... more »
Maurice J. Moyer Academy Charter School
*“Six staffers laid off at Moyer; Low enrollment reduces funding, forcing layoffs.” *The News Journal (DE), 10/20/2011 The Maurice J. Moyer Academy Charter School failed to recruit enough students to meet its enrollment goal for the second straight year, resulting in layoffs of several people this week. The school is also without a leader. Its principal, Dawna Thornton, announced this week she is leaving for another job. The layoffs were a result of budget problems caused by the Wilmington charter school's inability to reach an enrollment of 300 students, said Dan Cruce, state de... more »
Chester Community Charter School
*"Ex- aide recorded soliciting nude pix from girl.” *Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), 10/21/2011 A now-terminated Delaware County charter-school aide is accused of seeking nude photos last month from a 14-year-old girl in his care who recorded part of the conversation, police said. Ronald A. Byrd, 56, who had been an in-school suspension aide at Chester Community Charter School, was charged Wednesday with sexual exploitation of children, corruption of minors, and related offenses. He was remanded to the Delaware County prison after failing to post $100,000 bail, court records said. B... more »
Escondido Charter High School
*“GOP, Tea Party Influence Permeates Local Charter School.” *K-12 News Network, 9/19/2011 ...Blatant electioneering by the GOP on school grounds. Click through to see photos [see below] of a political rally held for Republican candidates in May, 2010, pay special attendance to what the school’s white tiger mascot is wearing. Mitt Romney, Meg Whitman, Darrell Issa and Pete Wilson are all in attendance. While my understanding is that it’s legal to use the facility for a political rally, it’s questionable in the least, to dress the school’s mascot in anti-Democratic Party garb and surr... more »
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS
A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.
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By Dan Aiello
